With the bypoll in Attipra ward of the City Corporation set to be held on May 22, candidates have started submitting nomination papers from Wednesday onwards. Five candidates filed nomination papers before the returning officer on the day.
Sreekala C, candidate of the UDF was the first to submit papers before District Labour Officer R Baiju at 11 am. Following which, Sobha Sivadath of CPM submitted her papers at 11.20 am, Aam Aadmi Party’s Subhakumari L at 11.40 am, BJP’s Yamuna R O at 12.01 pm and Lathika at 12.20 pm. All candidates were accompanied by the party’s representatives and local leaders.
LDF has constituted a committee with Attipra Vijayakumar as secretary to lead the campaigning. For the BJP, the campaigning committee’s coordinators are Chempazhanthi Udayan, the BJP district general secretary, and Pangappara Rajeevan, the party’s president in Kazhakkoottam constituency. The UDF will thrash out its campaign plan in a meeting of the district committee, sources said.
The deadline for submission of nomination papers is Friday and scrutiny will be held the next day. The nomination papers can be withdrawn till May 5. The date for counting of votes is May 23.
It is following the unnatural death of councillor M S Sangeetha that the ward is witnessing a byelection. This seat will be decisive for the ruling LDF, which now has 48 members. The UDF has 42 councillors and the BJP six. Two members are from the RSP, while one councillor is an independent.